


the one where they're all human

by geminisfolklore



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: All Human, F/F, F/M, Friends AU, I tried to be funny idk if it worked, M/M, everyone is LGBTQ in some way I do not make the rules, its my heart and soul, please love this, really chaotic, thank you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26425714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminisfolklore/pseuds/geminisfolklore
Summary: ON HIATUSThe Saltzman Twins have always lived together in number 521 of the Salvatore Apartments. However, after a fight over the resident bad boy, Sebastian Prince, Josie finds herself moving out and looking for a new roommate, which lands her with the girl across the hall, Hope Mikaelson, who just moved to New York. As Josie and Lizzie cope with living apart from one another, they find themselves hanging out still, when the small coffeeshop downstairs offers comfort in the form of five friends (some new, some old), and possible romance beyond their wildest dreams. As the seven of them try to navigate life through uncertainty and bad decisions, they begin to realize that its important to always be there for the ones in need.---in other news, its the F.R.I.E.N.D.S au that you always wanted, and I hope you love it! Thank you so much :)
Relationships: Ethan Machado & Hope Mikaelson, Hope Mikaelson & Rafael Waithe, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Roman Sienna, Jade & Josie Saltzman, Josie Saltzman/Rafael Waithe, Josie Saltzman/Sebastian, Kaleb Hawkins/Jed, Landon Kirby/Hope Mikaelson, Landon Kirby/Lizzie Saltzman, Lizzie Saltzman/Sebastian, MG/Alyssa, Maya Machado/Hope Mikaelson, Milton "MG" Greasley & Lizzie Saltzman, Milton "MG" Greasley/Kym, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman, all ships will shine at some point, basically - Relationship, i don't even really know, some are there to be toxic, there's a bunch of ships, they're twenty and in New York there's a lot of dating, who knows what is endgame
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	the one where they're all human

Work had been particularly hellish that day for the twenty-three-year-old Josie Saltzman. She was pushing herself through her final year of college and was compensating her online classes by also working as a veterinary assistant. Josie normally loved animals, so the job had seemed perfect for her, but some days were incredibly taxing. She never knew some dogs and cats could be so mean! 

She had been glad to get off an hour early. Things had slowed down, and Dr. Anderson had told Josie to head on home. She suspected he actually just felt bad that Josie needed so much caffeine to get through her workdays, so he thought the extra hour might get her some more sleep. Regardless of his intentions, however, Josie was thrilled to have the time off and found herself unlocking her apartment door a solid forty-five minutes earlier than normal. Maybe it wasn’t much, but these days, Josie would take any break she could catch.

Josie and her twin sister, Lizzie, had moved to New York together when they were nineteen years old. They had both taken a gap year from high school to college and thought that they would start fresh in a new city. Lizzie had an easier time adjusting to the new city, had immediately been accepted into NYU, found her clique, and gotten through her art program in two years. Josie, on the other hand, struggled a bit longer with finding out exactly who she was and what she wanted to do. She had to have changed her major at least three times before finally settling on creative writing. However, it was getting expensive to continue her education at NYU with the constant changes, so yet another change ensued -- online college. It wasn’t as bad as Josie thought it would be, though. Most of the time, she got good grades, even if it meant a few sleepless nights.

Tonight wouldn’t be that way, though. She had no projects due, and she wasn’t due at the clinic until nine o’clock tomorrow morning. If she played her cards right, she could eat a quick dinner and be in bed by eight-thirty. It wasn’t the most exciting way to spend her Friday night, but her other plans had been canceled. See, Josie had  _ had _ plans with her boyfriend. Well, boyfriend wasn’t the best way to describe their relationship. Josie and Sebastian weren’t dating necessarily, and no one even knew about their nights together. Josie hadn’t even told Lizzie yet. They were just...hanging out. Usually naked, and underneath his satin bedsheets. But, not tonight, it would appear, since he’d gotten called out of town by his job.

“Lizzie?” Josie called as she unlocked the door. It was nearing five o’clock, so Lizzie should be home. Her purse was sitting on the coatrack by their door, but the blonde was nowhere to be seen. Josie frowned, shrugging off her coat and adding it to the pile. Lizzie not being found was odd, but not so odd that it raised any immediate concerns for Josie. Grabbing the stack of mail off of the end table, Josie moved further into the apartment. She was lost in her own world, staring at the newest Barnes and Noble catalog, when she heard the loud bang from her sister’s bedroom.

Going into panic mode, Josie let the catalog fall from her hands, before rushing to her sister’s bedroom. Without a second thought, Josie through the door open, before screaming at the sight beforehand. Nothing was wrong. Not with Lizzie, anyways, but the sight still sent Josie into a slight spiral. Because, on the bed was her twin sister, straddling none other than Sebastian Prince - Josie’s secret hang-out-in-bedsheets-person. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Kaleb Hawkins didn’t usually care much for the endings of relationships. When he was breaking up with someone, he preferred for that to be the last interaction between the pair. Unfortunately, most people his age wanted something after that. Whether it was a one-last-time experience or they wanted to return his box of things, Kaleb apparently had this effect on the men and women that he dated that begged for them to come back to his apartment for no real reasons. Kaleb really hated that part of breakups.

As he stared at the man on the other side of his door, Kaleb raised an eyebrow. “Jed, what the hell are you doing here?”

“You left some things at my place,” Jed said, holding out the small black box. Tentatively, Kaleb reached out to grab it. With one quick glance, he realized fairly quickly that there was nothing substantial in the box: an old band t-shirt, a toothbrush that might not even be Kaleb’s, and what looked like a glasses case, which was weird since Kaleb had never worn glasses before in his life. 

“This feels like something that could have been mailed to me.”

“I wanted to see you.”

“We broke up, man. Get over it. It happens all the time.”

Kaleb turned around to set the box down. He didn’t know how to handle this conversation. See, Kaleb wasn’t one to stay in relationships for very long. Even at the young age of twenty-four, he dated more than others his age. It wasn’t that he had commitment issues or anything because Kaleb could envision ending up with a number of the people he dated. He just never fully clicked with any of them, to the point where Kaleb thought they were worth it. Besides, he had a theory about dating, that no one ever seemed to pass.

Kaleb hated the endings of relationships. So did other people but in another way. Everyone else hated being alone, not being away from Kaleb. New York was scary for someone in their twenties, and being alone was a scary thought. Kaleb, on the other hand, didn’t mind being alone, even though he never way. He hated ending relationships because most people didn’t handle it with maturity. They all crawled back, and when Kaleb refused to do anything with them after their ending, they freaked out on him, as if he owed them any part of himself that they hadn’t already gotten in the relationship. Kaleb was waiting for the person that he could break up with, who would handle it maturely. That was the kind of person who could build a life without letting it fall apart over one fight. That was the kind of person Kaleb wanted.

So far, no one ever passed that test, and judging by the false box of things he’d just looked through, Jed Park was no different. 

“See, it does happen all the time. When people fight, or when they don’t get along. I thought we were fine.”

“I just wasn’t feeling it anymore,” Kaleb said, staring at him for a moment. He and Jed had only been together for a few weeks, and Kaleb admittedly wasn’t sure why he broke up with him so soon. Maybe he really wasn’t feeling it, but that didn’t feel like the right answer. He liked Jed; something just called to him to get him out of the relationship.

Jed seemed to not believe the bullshit coming out of Kaleb’s mouth either because he wasted no time in letting a sarcastic tumble chuckle out of his mouth. “Yeah, it sure seemed that way when you were eating whipped cream--”

“Hey!” Kaleb said quickly, shutting Jed up immediately. “My roommate is home. Chill.”

“All I’m saying is that nothing seemed wrong.”

“And all  _ I’m _ saying is that something was wrong.”

Jed was silent for a moment, staring at Kaleb. It was uncomfortable to be stared down like that. It was like the other man was staring right into Kaleb’s soul, and that just felt like an invasion of all the walls Kaleb constantly tried to keep built up around himself. After a few moments, Kaleb shook his head, walking back over to the door, like he was ready to close it right in Jed’s face.

“Fine, if you really believe that.”

“I do,” Kaleb snapped like something had broken inside of him. “So, if you’d leave.”

“Okay, fine. Bye, Kaleb.”

“Whatever.”

Kaleb let the door slam behind Jed, staring at the space the dark-haired man had occupied three seconds prior.

God, some people could be  _ so _ immature about breakups.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Screaming had echoed through their apartment for about five minutes following Josie finding Sebastian in Lizzie’s bed. She wasn’t mad at Lizzie, but no matter how much Josie tried to tell herself that, she couldn’t stop herself from yelling at them both. Sebastian soon scurried out the door, his pants still in his hands. (Though he was probably just trying to escape Josie who had started throwing grapes from the fridge at him.)

When the screaming stopped, the silence started. Lizzie and Josie didn’t fight very often, and neither one of them knew how to handle this. It was stupid to fight over a boy that had been playing them both like a fiddle. Neither one of them knew how to acknowledge that, so instead they chose to be mad at one another. It was stupid, and the silence that was echoing around them was deafening.

“I can’t believe you were sleeping with him. I called dibs when we moved into the building, Josette,” Lizzie was the first to speak up.

“We aren’t sixteen anymore, Elizabeth,” Josie said, using her full name as well. After all, two could play at that game. “Dibs doesn’t really mean anything. Besides, we’ve been...hanging out for weeks. When did you guys start sleeping together?”

“Last year.”

“Oh,” Josie said, in some mix between anger and realization. She was technically the other woman in this instance. Sebastian had really wormed his way into their apartment twice, and neither one of them noticed. “When did we start hiding things from each other? I mean, one of us should have known.”

“I guess…” Lizzie trailed off, though the anger seemed mostly gone from her voice now, so Josie supposed that was a win of some kind. No matter how minuscule. “I guess we started knowing so much about each other’s lives that I thought it was nice to have one thing to myself.”

“I guess, yeah.”

Silence echoed around them again, which seemed more uncomfortable than it had three minutes ago. Josie breathed for a moment, closing her eyes as she tried to think about the best way to go about this. How did they fix something that had only been broken for a few moments, but felt like it’d been broken for a lifetime?

“So we keep things from each other now? I mean, living together like this has really pushed us to the point where we keep  _ dating _ a secret? We used to tell each other everything.”

“I don’t want to keep things from you, Jo,” Lizzie said, turning to look at her. Josie did the same, angling herself to look at her. “I just feel...like I need some personal space, so keeping things is the best way to do that.”

“Personal space,” Josie said softly, before looking at her. “Well, um, I mean...maybe this isn’t working anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we’ve been sharing a room since we were born, and then moved cities to share an apartment. We share friends for the most part. Apparently, we share boyfriends. Maybe...maybe its time we stop sharing things.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that maybe I should move out.”

Lizzie shook her head quickly, her hand reaching out to grab Josie’s hand. Josie sighed, glancing down at her lap. She hated that she even suggested that she moved out. She didn’t  _ want _ to move out, but Lizzie had made a good point. They’d been sharing things for as long as they could both remember, and personal space was important. Come to think of it, Josie wasn’t even sure she knew who she really was outside of her twin sister. Lizzie had found herself in college, and Josie had always thought that she would get there soon. But, maybe part of it was that Josie was always the kind of person to  _ adopt  _ personalities. And as long as she was near Lizzie, she would be adopting her sister’s personality, never knowing who she really was.

Josie felt someone squeeze her hand, and she glanced over at her sister, almost forgetting her for just a moment. “Josie, you can’t move out. We’ve always lived together.”

“I know, but we’re twenty-three, Lizzie. Maybe its time we live apart.”

“No...I... _ no _ .”

“Lizzie, I’m sorry, but...I really think this is the best idea.”

“No, you’re just mad because of Sebastian. You aren’t going to leave; you  _ can’t _ . Besides, you’ll never find a place to live that’s cheap like this! You’d have to live with a stranger!” Lizzie pleaded. “Josie, you’re going to realize in a few hours that you’re just mad.”

Josie shook her head, standing up. “No, Lizzie. I...I think this is for the best. I mean, it won’t be immediate. What are the chances I’ll find a place to go in a week? But...I am going to look into it.” Josie disconnected their hands. “I’m going to go for a walk, okay? Um...I’ll be back in, like, an hour.”

And, before Lizzie could argue or say no, Josie found herself walking quickly towards the door, letting it lock behind her.

* * *

* * *

* * *

Another box found itself broken down and joining the pile that would eventually find itself in the recycling bin later that day. They were running a little bit behind schedule, but Landon didn’t think it was that big of a deal. He and Rafael were hard-workers, and they both wouldn’t be that afraid of putting in a few extra hours to make sure that  _ Landon’s Coffee Bar  _ was set for opening next Thursday. 

“Did they ship us enough mugs? We can’t handle another plate disaster,” Landon mumbled as he grabbed the next box, before setting it on the counter.

“They did, and they said we’d have more plates before opening next week. Still, I think we should have a backup plan. They aren’t exactly reliable,” Rafael said from his spot hanging up some of the lights in the dining area of the small restaurant.

It was a stupid, small, minuscule dream, but Landon was proud to see it realized. He had wanted to own his own coffee shop since his freshman year of high school, and now that that dream was being realized, he was actually kind of excited for it. Rafael had offered to help get him settled in and open up, but he knew his friend wouldn’t be here forever. Rafael had his own plans that included not being tied to a small coffee bar in New York City. He was just a good enough friend to help Landon realize his own dreams first. 

As Landon began working on shelving more product, he let his mind wander for a moment about how opening day would go for this new shop. It was a really nice location, right underneath an apartment complex, so he suspected and hoped that they would get good business from that. He had really lucked out in getting a good business loan. If it weren’t for that, Landon would have never been able to afford such a high-trafficking place. 

“Hey, Lan,” Rafael called out, getting the other boy’s attention. Landon pulled his eyes and thoughts away from the future and glanced over towards his best friend. 

“What’s up?”

“Just got an email from Mr. Livore. He wants to meet with you to discuss how opening week will go.”

Landon sighed. Mr. Livore was a big business investor in the area and was the man who had given Landon and his small coffee shop a chance. He was thankful for the opportunity, but he always felt a bit overwhelmed whenever he was faced with meeting the older man. There was something about Mr. Livore that was unsettling and intimidating. He always acted like he knew more about Landon than he should. It made every hair on his arm stand up. Still, it wasn’t like he could ignore the other man. He had forked over most of the money for this business. If he wanted to discuss opening week, he’d get that.

“Great,” Landon sighed, breaking down the next box. “Did he say when?”

“Tonight at eight. He wants you to meet him at some lounge. Isn’t that creepy? Who wants to meet a business associate at a  _ lounge _ ?”

“Creepy people like Mr. Livore.”

“Should have known he was going to be a weird dude. His name is literally liver.”

“Li _ vore _ .”

“Same thing, man. Same thing.”

Landon chuckled a bit as he reached over to plug in the newest coffee pot. He was fairly certain that all of the outlets in this building worked, but just in case they didn’t, he was plugging in everything now. It was better to know what worked than be worried about something breaking on opening day. He already had plenty of stress for that day, there was no need to add onto it.

Rafael hopped off the step-ladder that he had been standing on, stepping back to appreciate the hanging lights. Landon took a look also, and he grinned. “They look good.”

“Damn straight,” Rafael said with a laugh, smirking over at his brother and best friend. Grabbing the step-ladder, he moved to put it away. “You excited to open this up? Only a few days away, now.”

“Actually, yeah,” Landon nodded in affirmation. “I feel like things are finally... _ right _ .”

“I get that,” Rafael nodded, clapping his hand onto his shoulder. “You did good, Landon.”

“ _ We _ did good, Raf.”

“Yeah, we did.”

* * *

* * *

* * *

Clearing her head was taking longer than Josie had originally planned. As she found herself walking back to her apartment, she still didn’t feel like it was a good time to head back up. Maybe it was just her own overly-self-conscious worries getting in the way, but she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to talk to Lizzie after this. How she was supposed to handle the fact that she’d really suggested  _ moving out _ . Josie didn’t want to move out - not really. But it did seem like the best option. They needed their space, and while they both had their own rooms, it wasn’t working anymore. Josie just needed a breather. 

If she had friends that had room for her in their apartment, she would just ask to stay with them for a week, but the only friends Josie really had were MG and Kaleb, and they already lived together. There was no space for her anywhere, and she didn’t know how to go about finding a roommate in today’s day and age. Most people roomed with people that they knew, rather than renting out to complete strangers. And, suddenly, Josie felt like she forgot everyone she had ever met.

Her mind was a tornado of problems and issues that needed to be solved, with no answers able to be found. She was so distracted that she didn’t even notice the box sitting on the curb outside of her apartment building. At least, not until she tripped and fell over it. Luckily for Josie, however, someone must have noticed her about to fall, because she felt two hands reach out, pressing into her hips, and catching her before she could hit the concrete surface below. 

When Josie opened her eyes, she realized three things about the person holding her. One, her savior was an auburn-haired girl, with fiercely blue eyes. Two, the girl was looking at Josie like she was some lost puppy she had just saved from utter demise. And three, Josie was pretty sure that the girl holding her had the ability to break her heart, even though they hadn’t even spoken to one another yet. 

“Are you okay? You almost fell right into the street,” the heroine spoke, sort of setting Josie straight up, and carefully removing her fingers from the brunette’s hips.

“Uh, yeah. No, no. I’m fine.” Josie said, but her voice sounded anything but. Sometimes she really wished that she had the ability to keep herself calm and collected in awkward or nerve-wracking situations. Lizzie was a pro at it, but Josie always wore her emotions on her sleeve. “Sorry, I was just so lost in thought that I didn’t notice your...box.” 

The girl laughed, shaking her head some. “My box is fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Oh, uh, no I’m fine. Thanks,” Josie said, and she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She stared at the other girl for a moment, before clearing her throat softly. “So...are you moving in or out?”

It was a dumb question. Josie would have recognized her if she had lived in the building. Josie doubted she would ever forget about her.

“In! Today’s move-in day, and I’m just a little swamped. I was supposed to get some help, but...well, that’s not important. The point is that I’m moving in. Do you live in this building?”

Josie nodded sort of gesturing to the looming building behind her. “Yeah, up on the fifth floor. I share an apartment with my twin sister.”

“You’re kidding,” the auburn-haired girl said with a small smile as she looked over at her. “I’m moving to the fifth floor! We’ll be neighbors!”

Neighbors. Well, at least for a few days.

“Yeah, I guess we will be,” Josie said with a smile, before looking around. “Um, do you want some help moving in? I could use the distraction. It’s been a day, and helping you move into the building would be a great stress reliever.”

“Well, I’d hate to be the reason you didn’t see any relief,” the auburn girl teased, and Josie felt her cheeks swell with heat again. She hadn’t meant it like  _ that _ . “But, yes, I would love some help. Maybe we can talk about whatever’s troubling you. I find that strangers give the best advice.”

“Strangers, hm? Does that mean I’ll never get to know your name?”

The girl laughed again, and Josie smiled back at her. “I’m Hope.”

“Josie. Welcome to the building.”

* * *

* * *

* * *

The moment Lizzie called for him, MG found himself sitting on her couch, listening to her cry and rant about what had happened earlier that day. He watched her carefully, mesmerized by every move she made like he always was. She was gorgeous, and he had always thought so, even if he never wanted to say it out loud. Being in love with Lizzie Saltzman was a private art that MG had mastered on rainy Tuesdays when she wore oversized sweaters and liked to drink peppermint hot chocolate no matter the season. 

“And then she said she thought she should move out. I mean...am I really  _ so _ unlikable that not even my twin sister wants to live with me anymore?” 

“Hey, hey,” MG said quickly, standing up from where he’d been sitting and rushing over to Lizzie. He placed his hands carefully on her shoulders, holding her steady. He had known Lizzie since she moved to the city when she was just nineteen years old. They’d met while studying at NYU, for the brief two month period that MG was an art major. Back then, she had meltdowns a lot, and he’d learned from Josie how to best handle them. Lizzie had gotten better since then, but every once in awhile, he noticed how things seeped through. And every time he noticed, he made sure he could help her in whatever way she needed. “You aren’t unlikable, Lizzie. You’re wonderful, and anyone with half a mind would be able to realize that.”

“Then why does my sister want to move out?”

“Because you guys are twenty-three and haven’t had lives outside of each other for years. It’s not that she hates you, Lizzie. She just wants to...have a little separation.” MG said, lowering her down into the armchair to the right of the TV. Lizzie seemed to be calming down more, but he wasn’t sure the storm had passed, so he kept his voice low. “You’re wonderful, and Josie loves you. If she wants to move out, it's only because she wants to continue to love you, and is worried that things like British men from the second floor will get in the way.”

Lizzie scoffed, rolling her eyes. “He was Scottish.”

“That really wasn’t my point, Liz.”

“I know,” Lizzie said, smiling a little bit, and MG wondered if she was starting to fully calm down now. He grinned over at her for a moment, before, lowering himself down to sit on the coffee table, just staring at her as she spoke. “I knew that she’d always have to move out eventually. Or that  _ I  _ would move out eventually, but...I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”

“And it won’t be. She still has to find a place, find a roommate, work on the actual moving and signing of a lease. You’ve still got at least another month, probably longer.” MG said, reaching forward and grabbing her hand, to squeeze it gently. He smiled softly at her for just a moment, and she returned his gaze, even going so far as to squeeze her hand back. 

“Thanks, MG. You’re really great.”

He grinned.

“I’m so glad to have a friend like you.”

And tried not to show the pain breaking his heart. Luckily for him, though, the conversation was soon interrupted by the sound of the front door to the apartment opening. MG turned his head, grateful to have the weight be lifted off of him. He was never mad that Lizzie didn’t like him back (that was just how things went some times, and he hoped one day he would get over her), but that didn’t mean he liked being reminded of how platonic their relationship actually was. It was one of those truths he thought was better living in the back of his mind, rather than out in the open.

Josie walked in through the door, and MG wondered for a moment if there would be screaming or crying or some mix of them both. The twins sort of stared at each other for a moment and MG almost thought about breaking the silence, even though it wasn’t his place. It didn’t matter, though, because Lizzie finally found the courage to use her voice.

“I’m really sorry about today,” Lizzie said.

“Me too, Lizzie.”

“I know we both said some stuff we didn’t mean, but, um, if you still want to move out...I can help you look for a place.”

Josie shifted awkwardly, and MG wondered if the screaming would start now. He was very out of place at this moment, on the outside looking in on the private conversation between the Saltzman twins.

“Uh, about that,” Josie said, and MG heard the unmistakable sound of keys hitting a ceramic bowl. “I actually found a place.”

“What?”

“What?” MG echoed Lizzie, and the two shared a look. 

“What do you mean you found a place?” Lizzie muttered, standing up and moving towards her sister. “You’ve only been gone a few hours!”

“There’s this girl moving in down the hall. Um, her boyfriend backed out of living with her, and she needs a roommate. She told me I was free to move in this weekend, so I’m going to.”

“You’re going to live with a stranger.”

“I find that strangers give the best advice,” Josie said, and MG thought he noticed a small smile pulling at the edge of her mouth.

“You’re actually moving out?”

“Yes. This weekend. Lizzie, I hope you know that--” But whatever Josie was going to say fell on deaf ears, because the blonde had already pushed her way into her room, the sound of a door slamming echoing loudly through the apartment. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

The next few days were a mess of packing and unpacking, shoving furniture down the hall, and ignoring her sister’s obviously hateful glares. Josie knew that Lizzie wasn’t happy with her moving out, but it was one thing to know it, and another to see her sister visibly hate her for it. Lizzie never offered to help with the moving process. Not that Josie could really expect her to help, she supposed. Josie was the one uprooting their entire life together, after all. Lizzie could be mad at her for as long as she wanted, as far as Josie was concerned.

Once all of her things were in her room in the new apartment, Josie felt a bit better. More clear-minded, even though it was a big transition to be living away from her twin sister for the first time in her life. (Not that she was that far away, considering the new apartment was three doors down the hall.) Hope was gone for the day, looking for some job or another, so Josie was mostly left to herself. Unpacking was the agenda, but Josie just couldn’t bring herself to get started on that yet. Maybe she felt that she wasn’t ready to start her life here yet. Not with things so unfinished in apartment 521.

So, Josie headed down the hall. When she got to the door, she almost just let herself in, but she thought that might not go over very well anymore. She gave up her rights to walking into this apartment when she made the choice to leave it. So, she let her hand fall from where it’d been clasped around the doorknob and knocked. 

It took about a minute for the door to open, and Josie smiled at Lizzie, who only raised an eyebrow back. “Did you forget something?”

“Yeah,” Josie said, before stepping forward and hugging her sister tightly. She could feel Lizzie’s confusion shifting through her body before the serenity of her sister’s arms wrapping around her came over Josie. “I love you, Lizzie.”

“I love you too, Jo,” Lizzie said, and Josie felt her squeeze her just a little bit tighter. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”

“I don’t either,” Josie said, finally breaking the hug, and staring at her sister. “You’re my sister. My best friend. I don’t want to lose that.”

“You won’t.”

Josie smiled at her. “Now, I should go unpack, but I have a much more fun idea in mind.” The brunette held out her hand. “Want to join me?”

Lizzie smiled, reaching out and taking her sister’s hand. “Sure. Where are we headed?”

“To a place where the lost things go.”

Less than one hundred steps later, Lizzie and Josie found themselves standing in the doorway of the newest addition to their corner of New York City.  _ Landon’s _ . Josie loved coffee and had been really excited for this new coffee shop, which seemed to have a fairytale theme to it. (Another one of her guilty pleasures.) Today was their opening day, and while Josie knew she should be setting up her new room in her new apartment, spending some much needed time with her sister seemed like a better idea. 

“Is that MG?” Lizzie’s voice sounded, and Josie looked in the direction her sister was pointing. 

“And Kaleb,” Josie said with a grin, noticing their two best friends sitting at some couches towards the back of the coffee shop. Apparently, Landon’s really was a place where the lost things could reconvene. Lizzie and Josie walked over towards the couches, their hands laced together as they approached them. “Mind if we join you?”

The boys looked up, laughing and scooting over to make room for someone on the couch. Josie let Lizzie have that spot, opting for the armchair a few feet away. She took a moment to look around, loving the fairy lights that decorated the ceilings above them, and noting the pictures of classic fairytales on the walls, as well as sheet music. There was also a makeshift stage in the corner, which Josie only hoped meant live music. She was a sucker for a good love song.

“Earth to Josie,” MG said with a laugh, bringing her back in. She looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. “Would you rather. You in?”

“Always,” Josie said with a laugh. Would you rather is a game that almost everyone knew, but it became a staple for their little friend group -- a fun way for them to pass the time when they were bored. “Who’s up?”

“I’ll go,” Lizzie said, angling her body towards Kaleb. “Would you rather take back an ex or give up your shark slippers?” 

“That’s cold, woman.”

“I miss Jed. And also that girl from last summer - Ami? Where did they go?”

“Far away,” Kaleb said with a laugh, leaning back. “Though, Jed  _ did _ come and see me at the apartment yesterday. It was odd.”

“Did he scream?” Josie asked, leaning forward a bit, just so she could grab a menu off the table between them all.

“No, he was actually...really calm. I didn’t like it.”

“So...he  _ passed _ the theory?”

Kaleb glanced over at Josie, raising an eyebrow. “I’d rather give up my shark slippers. Now I’ll go. Josie,” he said, narrowing his eyes at her, and she sighed. “Would you rather change majors again or be forced to attend Jade’s wedding?”

“Change majors for sure.  _ No one _ wants to see their ex get married.”

“You guys sound like you’re having a fun conversation,” a voice said, and Josie looked in that direction to see her new roommate standing behind the couch with a smile. 

“Hey,” Josie said, grinning some. “Uh, you guys remember Hope, right?”

“Yeah, hey,” MG said, nodding some.

“What’s up, little red?” Kaleb said, nodding in her direction. 

“Mikaelson.” 

Josie sighed, hearing the slight annoyance in Lizzie’s tone. She knew that her sister harbored a dislike for the new girl, because of Josie moving in with her. She had hoped that after their conversation earlier, Lizzie would feel better about it, but apparently that had been rather wishful thinking. At least Kaleb and MG were being rather friendly. Josie would just make sure that she did what she could to integrate Hope into their new friend group.

“We were just playing would you rather. Want to join us?”

“Sure,” Hope said, and she came over to the armchair that Josie was sitting on, lounging on the side of it. Josie glanced up at her with a smile, which was beautifully returned, before glancing back along. “Whose turn was it?”

“Mine,” Josie said, looking back up at her. “Hope, would you rather have a big head, with little arms, or long arms, with a little head?”

“What kind of question is that?” Kaleb asked with a laugh.

“An important one!” Josie defended, looking at him. “Now, answer it, Hope.”

“I’d want to be a T-Rex, so I guess big head, little arms.”

The group laughed, and in a weird way, their voices almost sounded like they all matched one another. Fate has a funny thing about stepping in at the right time and making things happen when you need them. And in that moment, with five of the best people in the world laughing, Josie thought she could hear a harmony. 

Maybe this world was full of changes, and Josie was about to embark on the biggest change in her life. But right now, in a small coffee shop less than one hundred steps from her apartment, Josie couldn’t help but think she had one thing that would never full change -- her friends.

They were the ones worth being there for.


End file.
